31. Capri
31
CAPRI
“Are we supposed to be in here?”
Jones leads me down the dimly lit hallway, heading toward his mother’s suite.
“Probably not, but I have an in with Tracy in administration. She pulled some strings.” He winks.
“You buttered her up,” I whisper, smiling at my chaos maker.
“It got us in here, didn’t it?”
I wasn’t sure what Jones had in store for the rest of the night, but meeting his mom was not what I expected. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to “meet the parents,” and I’m feeling both nervousness and excitement.
For being a medical home for dementia patients, Paloma Memory Care is inviting. There’s plants and warm colors, even noticeable in the dead of night. It doesn’t feel sterile, and I love that. This is a place I would want my loved ones to be if circumstances called for it.
We reach the end of the hallway, and my anxiety kicks in. Jones stops us in front of the single door that reads ‘Dolly Archer’ in a small gold frame.
“Jones, I’m nervous,” I tell him, my stomach in knots.
He grabs my hands, and my body responds to him with trust. “Who am I to you?” he asks with a tender smile.
Everything. You’re everything I could ever want.
“You’re Jones,” I say with a deep breath, contemplating how serious we’re getting here. His eyes beg me to dig further. “You’re the man I trust to keep my heart safe.”
If smiles could tell a story, Jones’ maps ours perfectly. He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and runs his thumb across the slope of my cheek. “Now, ask me who you are to me.”
I feel my nerves settle. He’s using this moment to share his heart.
“Who am I to you, Jones Archer?” I smile deliriously.
“That’s simple. You’re Capri from Capri,” he says, pretending that’s it. My mouth gapes open and he chuckles. “You’re also the woman I’m fucking crazy about and have been since the moment we met.”
My heart soars, and I want nothing more than to kiss him and tell him how I feel. “Okay, I’m ready.” I take another deep breath, gathering the courage from his words to meet the woman who raised him.
Jones kisses me softly. “Atta girl.”
He reaches for the doorknob, but before we enter, he turns to me and says, “I…I’m not sure how she’ll be tonight. Please don’t take offense to anything off-the-wall she might say.”
My hand finds his forearm. “Hey. I’m sure she’ll be great, okay? I can’t wait to meet her.”
My smile is all he needs before ushering me into Dolly Archer’s room.
* * *
It seems I had no reason to worry. Dolly is in her prime tonight, and I haven’t laughed this hard in ages.
Although it’s ten o’clock, she seems fully rested.
“Jones had an ass that looked like a peach. All the ladies in the church choir wouldn’t let him get past without pinching it.” She proceeds to pinch his butt and Jones scurries.
“What the fuck, Mom?”
Her chuckle is sinister and, frankly, hilarious.
The dynamic between the two of them is adorable. I can see the way Jones cares for his mother and the love she has for him, despite the side effects of her disease.
“Has Jones always been a workaholic, Mrs. Archer?” I ask her, sending Jones a sly grin.
Dolly lights some incense beside her, and my eyes follow the motion in worry, causing Jones to chuckle. “It’s Dolly. I’m too old for that Mrs. shit. Besides, I’m a widow, and Bernie next door has been frequenting my room lately. If you know what I mean.” Her brows rise suggestively, and I giggle, watching Jones become more and more uncomfortable by the second.
“Not necessary,” he bites out, looking anywhere else but at her.
“It’s only human nature,” she tells him before turning her attention back to me. “Am I repeating myself? It’s been a long day.”
This must be the break in her memory. Although lucid, there can still be blank spaces. Exhaustion seems to come in waves.
“Not at all.” I smile. “You were telling me about how hard Jones works.”
Jones sends me a look of thanks, and I tune into Dolly’s rambling. “Is he still workin’ like a damn dog? I told him he needs to find himself a lady.”“He is,” I say at the same time Jones replies, “I’m workin’ on it.”
“Good,” she exhales, closing her eyes for a moment. “These beds were a good investment, son. Great choice.”
The room falls silent, nothing but the sound of the air circulating and Dolly’s soft snores as she drifts asleep.
My eyes move to Jones, finding his already on mine. “What does she mean by that?” I ask softly.
“I wanted to help,” he replies. I can tell that was difficult for him to admit. But something tells me Jones didn’t just help Dolly.
“You bought her a new medical bed?” I ask, and he nods slowly before casting his eyes downward. I continue, “And the other patients? Did you buy them one, too, Jones?” My voice is soft, melting in awe at the magnitude of his care.
Another nod.
Fuck me sideways. If compassion and humility made a baby, it’d be Jones Archer. Tears fill my eyes; the thoughtfulness he has for those he loves is something extraordinary.
“Kind isn’t a significant enough word to describe you, Captain. You deserve a title valued in gold,” I say, walking to stand in front of him, careful not to wake Dolly up. “That must have cost you a pretty penny. But to do that for your mother and all the other patients at Paloma…just wow. You’re an incredible human being, Jones.” My hand reaches for his, and I run my thumb along the roughness of his palm.
He looks up at me with eyes full of compassion. Eyes that appreciate even the small things in life. “It was nothing. I just wanted her to have the very best.”
“And she does. She has you.”
There’s no one better than you.
Jones doesn’t respond, but I feel the gratitude he has for my words. The words that could never be more true. My only hope is that he never loses sight of them. When he stands and pulls me into a hug, the breath in his chest exhales against mine.
I’ll never stop reminding him how fortunate she is to have him if it gives him even a fraction of the reassurance he needs.
There’s a feeling of peace that settles between us—an understanding.
This is Jones’ reality…it’s also all he has.
We’re more similar than I think either of us realized, and that’s an intimidating thought. To be aligned with someone in a way that allows you to understand the deepest parts of them.
I hope Jones sees me as someone he can find rest in, too.
His arms hold me tight, and I rest my head on his chest.
“She’s a beautiful person. A spitfire, too.”
“She is,” he exhales. “I wish you had the chance to know her before.”
“I’m sure I’d love her just the same,” I say. “I can see how much she loves you.”
“She’s all I’ve got.” His voice quakes.
Jones always holds his composure—solid as stone. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him allow emotions to overload him, but right now, the shallow jolt in his chest feels like bottled pain breaking free.
This sweet man has been carrying so much on his own. For years, without someone to hold him when he needs just a second to not be okay.
To unravel without judgment.
To surrender it all and not hear a damn word about it.
I let my comfort surround him. “Shhh. You’re not alone anymore.” I run my hands through his hair and massage his scalp. I’ll stay like this for however long he needs.
He’s quiet and still, but his soft sniffling tells me he’s weeping, and it’s about time he gets the comfort he deserves. “I’m here, okay?” I whisper into his hair, a rush of emotions washing over me. “She knows how much you love her. I believe that with everything in me. Hold on to that.”
“Fuck,” Jones stammers, swallowing back the hurt. “Thank you, Capri. Thank you.” He kisses me chastely, like he can’t quite articulate his feelings with anything other than kisses.
I’m honored to be in the pocket of his tangible love. “Always.”
I want to wrap him in my care and never let him go. How could I let a man as precious as this go? Tell him we can only be friends?
He has so much love to give, and I have a heart with enough space for him to make a home in it.
Make a home with me.
I’ll give him every inch of wall space, the kitchen, doors, down to the baseboards and blinds—it’s his.
I’ve been a fool to fight it. My heart begins and ends with Jones Archer, and for once, I’m not scared of his ability to be the caretaker.
I’m elated.
Ready to give him all of me and give a relationship between us a real shot.
If he’ll have me. When the dust settles and the silence stretches wide, Jones leads me out and takes me home.
Tonight quickly became one of the best dates of my entire life.